It was all over in just seven minutes and 42.253 seconds, but in that short time, the newest model from the Audi Sport brand, the RS Q8, had carved its name into the record books.

In that 7:42.253, the full-sized, twin-turbo SUV blasted around the most revered race track in the world, the Nürburgring – affectionately known as the Green Hell – and became the latest SUV to do so.

A distance of 20.8km of full-throttle straights, extraordinary changes of altitude and indeed weather at different parts of the track, it is a place that has tested and at times, bested some of the world’s greatest drivers and caught out many an over confident driver – with often devastating consequences.

But the man at the wheel for this record breaking run was no novice or over confident beginner. Frank Stippler is one of the best in the business and numbers two Nürburgring 24 titles amongst his many achievements in a long and distinguished career.

Stippler is more familiar than most with the famed Nürburgring, but every new vehicle handles the demanding track in a different way, and a full sized, luxury SUV is a far cry from a stripped down race car.

Nevertheless, the RS Q8 with its biturbo 4.0-litre V8 producing 441kW and a massive 800Nm of torque, was right at home at the Nürburgring, besting 302km/h down the back straight and carving an enormous seven seconds off the previous record for an SUV at the track. The quattro permanent all-wheel drive provided the extraordinary grip to throw the large SUV out of the bends, and with all that torque coming on from as low as 2200rpm right through to 4500rpm, maintaining momentum was no issue for the RS Q8.

For the Audi works driver, it was all in a day’s work, but the faultless drive sets the bar for others to try and better and confirms the figurehead of the Audi Sport range as the new Lord of the Ring.